Peaceful protest organized to help save historic apartment building in Lexington

LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) — Neighbors in the Cardinal Valley area of Lexington, gathered in front of a historic building on Monday afternoon.
The building has been a source of affordable housing for residents for decades, the building dating back to the 1930’s, but’s its set to be demolished and a gas station will soon be built in its place.

“I started protesting the demolition of this historic apartment building in December of 2020,” says Paula Singer, who helped organize Monday’s peaceful protest.

The protest, to save the historic Blue Grass Apartments.
The once thriving complex was bought by a gasoline chain.

“Speedway, the gas station filed a development plan with the division of planning to demolish this 12-unit apartment building which was fully occupied at the time, and to demolish it for a mega 16-pump gas station,” added Singer.

Many of those who live in the Cardinal Valley community are opposed to what is to come, including Singer.

“People in the neighborhood have expressed they would like to see housing of this type. They would like to see a grocery store because this is a heavy pedestrian centered area. They would like to see another kind of eatery,” added Singer.

Singer who has continued vouching to preserve the building says they were able to stop a demolition back in 2021, but, Speedway came back with more money, more lawyers, more perks for this gas station and the planning commission at that time in the middle of May 2021 decided to allow them to go forward with their plan,” she also said.

Singer added that back in 2021, several councilmembers spoke at the Planning Commission asking for the other recommendations that were made to be taken into account when deciding to move forward.

“In Cardinal Valley, we have what is called a small area plan, the small area plan emphasized housing, it emphasized small business,” said Singer.

Another protestor, served as a council member in the 11th district, Henson also lives in Cardinal Valley.

She says the property has been on Versailles Rd since 1936.
Henson and Singer hope that current council members will help draft legislation that could help in another situation like this one.
There is no official date of the demolition.